The Afterlife (A Harry Potter Oneshot)
by The Flying Ostrich
Summary: A one-part story. Just my interpretation of what happened after Snape died and entered the afterlife. An emotional interpretation of life, death, & Harry Potter.


"Hello Severus," said a voice, and at once Snape knew what had happened.

He had thought he would never hear that voice again.

Except of course in the dreams that haunted him every night, the dreams in which he could hear that voice calling out to him, pleading him, begging him... "Severus. Please" the voice had said, before Snape himself had silenced it.

And now here he was, hearing that voice again.

"Hello Severus," said the voice and Snape was afraid to open his eyes. All there was that surrounded him was darkness, and that was comforting. When he opened his eyes, he would see... and Snape did not want to see. He did not want to see the wrinkled face with gentle, sparkling eyes. He did not want to see the kind smile. He did not want to see the face of Albus Dumbledore.

"Do not be afraid, Severus," said the former headmaster and a deep feeling of guilt surged through Snape's chest. Oh, how could he have ever killed his one, and perhaps only, true friend? Albus had been the only one besides Lily that understood him, accepted him... And Snape had killed him.

A warmness started at Snape's shoulder and spread through him, and he realized that someone was touching him.

"Look at me," said Dumbledore. "You only did what I asked of you," he said, merely a soft murmur, "and for that I am eternally grateful. Do not worry any longer Severus. You are in a place now where your former actions are of no worry."

And finally Snape opened his eyes. The light blinded him. It was white, so very very white here, wherever this was.

The whiteness was all he could see, but after blinking rapidly, his eyes adjusted, focusing on the face before him.

A smile tugged at the corner of the other person's lips, his sharp blue eyes burrowing into Snape's.

"Ah, it has been a long time," he said in his soft voice. And as Snape looked at him, he knew he was forgiven for all that he had done. If only he could forgive himself.

"What happened?" Snape asked, but his voice sounded strange. It echoed throughout the vast expanse of light that endlessly surrounded him.

"Why Severus," replied Dumbledore, "you're dead."

The words sounded unreal. _Dead. He was dead._

"No, no I know that... I mean, what happened?" Snape swallowed. "To the others? To Voldemort? ... To the boy?"

Albus's smile enlarged. He could hear the worry in Snape's voice, the way he had always cared for Harry after all.

"They are fine, Severus, I can assure you of that. Tonight, Harry will defeat the Dark Lord, and tomorrow will be a much brighter day indeed."

And Snape smiled. Despite his cold exterior, despite his bitterness and hatred, he smiled. Perhaps everything he had done in life had been worth it after all.

Snape turned, taking in his surroudings, but there was nothing. Just whiteness.

After a moment had passed, Dumbledore twitched his hand, beckoning Snape to follow him.

The walked off into the unknown. It felt like they weren't moving at all, but walking in midair, and Snape wondered where they could possibly be going, what on earth could possibly be in this realm worth seeing, until he saw it.

It was just a flash of red blowing in some non-existent breeze.

But that flash of red meant everything.

Snape stopped breathing. His lungs lodged up with so much sorrow and longing and years & years of guilt and pain that air simply refused to enter them. He doubled over, clutching at his chest, falling to his knees.

"Lily," he whispered, and she answered back.

"Sev,"

Three simple letters. One simple word. And every emotion in the universe.

Snape closed his eyes. Oh how he had feared this moment. How he had feared the fact that he might see her again. Longed for it desperately, of course, but dreaded it also. He had been so cruel to her... what she must think of him...

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he opened his eyes.

And the world was silent. Nothing at all existed but Severus and Lily. Her bright green eyes radiated with light, her smile shining brightly, blinding his eyes and making them water.

"Lily," he uttered, the very act of speaking her name agonizing.

"Oh Severus," she said, smiling. "You have so much hate in your heart" And she touched his chest, gently. "Don't hate yourself so. You have done so much good. So, so much good. The world is grateful."

But she saw the look on his face, and she changed her words. " _I am grateful_."

She studied him again for a moment. "You saved my son. Thank you." Her words were too simple to express her gratitude, so she finished by pressing her lips to his forehead. "Thank you, Severus."

He felt light, _her light_ , flowing from the spot her lips touched his skin and then spreading throughout his entire body. It was like liquid gold was rushing through his pours, cleansing his soul. Because Lily Evans (Lily Potter) did not hate him. Through all he had done, not only to her but to the others around them, through it all Lily had the love in her heart to forgive him.

She leaned back, smiling at him.

She walked back a few paces, and another figure appeared. She linked arms with the figure, intertwining her fingers with his, smiling broadly. " _We_ are grateful," she told Snape.

Snape looked up at James. Linked eyes with him. And he linked eyes back with Snape. But there was no coldness there. No bitterness. James smiled softly, nodding his head as his silent thank you.

And Severus nodded back.

He looked at the pair, and for the first time he did not look upon them with envy. They were happy. Lily was happy and James had been the one to make her that way. And for that, Snape was grateful.

"Come Severus," Lily beckoned, "There is so much more to see. Come with us. It's time to go now."

And again they walked. This time, into a new realm. Whiteness still enveloped them and it was the same as before, but Snape could tell that it was different also; he now really was dead. Now, he really was in the afterlife.

Finally, they made it to their destination. Lily and James stopped suddenly, and at first Snape did not know why. He looked around, but there was nothing there that he could see.

But after a few moments, they came into focus.

There were so many of them, and a sadness flooded into Snape's heart. Oh, there were so many here that shouldn't be here. So many young hearts that should still be beating, so many minds that should still be thinking, so many breaths that should still be breathing, so many lives that should still be living...

His eyes teared up as he saw them.

A pile of fiery hair-Fred Weasley.

Two pointy ears and a long nose-Dobby.

Two expanses of wings soaring freely through the 'sky'-Hedwig.

A mess of long hair- Lavendar Brown

A face full of confidence and beauty- Cedric Diggory

A mop of messy black hair-Sirius Black.

A face full of lines and scars, but also kindness-Remus Lupin.

A head of bubblegum-pink hair-Nymphadora Tonks.

All these faces. Faces he had once known. Lives that had once been intertwined with his own. People that should have still been down below, living breathing & laughing.

He couldn't handle it. His soul lit up with a fire. A fire of hate and passion and agony. Oh, why had the world taken them away? For many of them, because they had been fighting. Fighting the same battle Snape had become a sacfrice of- the battle of good an evil. Some of them fought it internally, some of them in the world around them.

And Snape had to wonder why there had to be such a world in the first place. Why there even had to be a world with hate in it in which to fight.

A hand landed on his shoulder, knocking him out of his daze.

He turned, meeting two bright eyes.

"Severus," said Dumbledore softly. "Worry not."

But there was so much to worry about. So many people breaking, hurting, fighting in the world he had just left behind.

"You worry for those who are living. And you morn for those who are dead. Do not pity the dead. Pity the living, and most of all those who live without love. For here Severus, here in the afterlife is a world where we stop fighting. A world where there is no hate; only love. For those of us who had a life we fought in, we are brought to this world, the afterlife; a place where that battle ceases to exist for there is no evil to fight against. Here, Severus, people love and accept each other as they were meant to."

Severus looked around and more tears filled his eyes as he saw that Albus's words were true.

These people had faced so many trials. Fought so many battles. Faced so much prejudice.

And here... well, here, they could be happy.

Everyone froze as a blast of light devoured the world around them. A low rumble consumed their ears, and it felt as if it was an earthquake. But there was no earth under them to quake.

"The world is changing," said Dumbledore. "Something in the realm of the living is shifting."

And once the rumbling stopped, once the blazing light faded, they all knew that what he said was true.

There was something different now, they could feel it in the air around them.

They could have asked Dumbledore what had happened, for surely he could offer an explanation. But they needed none. They all knew, they could feel it.

In that moment, Voldemort, the epitome of darkness himself, had been destroyed, and in his wake light had taken over.

All those that were gathered in the afterlife felt their hearts warm, and they all smiled, for they knew that because of their sacrifices, their loved ones in the realm of the living were now living in a world that was scarred by less hate, filled with less darkness, and blinded by less evil.

They all smiled, together, for they all knew; if the people they cared for were happier, if the world they left behind had been made better, than the sacrifice of leaving it behind had been worth it.

Snape smiled, one last time, before closing his eyes and immersing himself into the afterlife.

 _The End._


End file.
